Toggle switch with domed, slotted guide plate



June 20, 1967 w. T. SORENSON TOGGLE SWIT CH WITH DOMED, SLOTTED GUIDE PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1966 INVEIY TOR .dzlean/s ON 7 MW y i 0 z F B w 7 3 6 3 m.

ATTORNEY June 20, 1967 w. T. SORENSON TOGGLE SWITCH WITH DOMED, SLOTTED GUIDE PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet T Filed March 1966 Z4 I I" United States Patent 3,327,078 TOGGLE SWITCH \VITI-I DOMED, SLOTTED GUIDE PLATE Wesley T. Soreuson, 100 Westmount Road, West Hartford, Conn.

Filed Mar. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 532,625 Claims. (Cl. 200-67) This invention relates to toggle switches and, more particularly, to a toggle switch assembly having an improved guide plate for cooperating with the switch toggle.

A salient feature of the invention is the inclusion of a guide plate having a raised domed portion which confines the toggle to the bushing area to insure it against being urged downwardly towards the bottom of the switch assembly and destroying the switch elements. Said raised portion is provided with a requisite amount of resiliency whereby the toggle ball is urged to nest against its mating surface while, at the same time, the alternating action of the toggle is rendered more positive.

The raised portion of the guide plate also makes it possible to use toggles of different lengths whereby the domed portion may be drawn deeper or shallower without changing the actuating. elements of the toggle switch.

The domed portion of the switch also acts as a cap for retaining the actuating spring and controlling its movement in the chamber of the switch.

The improved domed guide plate also facilitates the quicker and easier location of several portions of the switch assembly.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification.

The features of novelty which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth herein and will best be understood, both as to their fundamental principles and as to their particular embodiments, by reference to the specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the assembled toggle switch device of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, vertical section view, partly in elevation, taken approximately on line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a further enlarged section view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the toggle element in a position opposite that of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a section view, partly in elevation, taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a section view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, some parts being omitted;

FIGURE 6 is a. section view taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a view taken on line 77 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 8 is a view taken on line 88 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 9 is a view taken on line 99 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 10 is an exploded view of several of the parts of the switch toggle assembly, some parts being omitted.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURES 1-4, the toggle switch device of the present invention comprises a case, generally designated 21, molded or otherwise formed of a suitable insulating material such as Bakelite, nylon, or the like, and having a pair of spaced apart side walls 22 and 23, and a pair of spaced apart end walls 24 and 26, integrally joined to each other and forming within said walls a switch chamber 27. Integrally formed with said end and side walls is a floor 28.

The upper surface of fioor 28 is divided longitudinally by a short partition 29 integrally formed therein, the concave top of said partition being raised somewhat above the upper surface of floor 28.

"ice

Positioned in a pair of spaced apart vertical slots 31 in end wall 26 are electrically conductive vertical contact elements 32 and 33 whose forwardly extending integrally formed legs 34 and 36, respectively, lie in a pair of spaced apart accommodating recesses 37 in floor 28. The upper edges 38 of legs 34 and 36 slope in a curve inwardly into chamber 27, said curvature conforming to the curvature of the upper surface of floor 28.

Integrally formed at the upper ends of contact elements 32 and 3-3 are horizontal arms 38 and 39, respectively, which extend outwardly through suitable apertures inwall 26 and terminate externally of case 21 in a pair of terminal lugs 41 and 42, respectively, for connection to an electrical circuit controlled by the switch.

Mounted on top of case 21 is a spacer plate 46 made of suitable insulating material over which is positioned a guide plate 47 made of sheet metal or the like. Spacer plate 46 has an aperture 48 which is located over the open top of chamber 27. Guide plate 47 has an upwardly extending convex dome 49 located above aperture 48 in plate 46 and which is traversed by elongated guide slot 51. Plates 46 and 47 are secured in position by means of a cover plate '52, said three plate elements being fastened to case 2 by means of rivets 53 and 54 extending through suitable apertures in said plates and in said case. Cover plate 52 has an aperture which is aligned with dome 49 and with aperture 48 in plate 46, which permit communication with the interior chamber 27 in the case 21.

Formed around the aperture of cover plate 52 is an upwardly and inwardly extending annular flange 56 to which is connected the lower end of bushing 57 whose bore 58 is aligned with the apertures of plates 46 and 52. The upper portion of bushing 57 has an inwardly extending shoulder 59 in which is formed a curved, annular mating seat 61 against which the enlarged ball portion 62 of a pivotable toggle element 63 bears. Integrally for-med with ball portion 62 and extending downwardly therefrom is a stub 64 which terminates in an integrally formed nib 66 having flattened sides 67 and 68.

Nib 66 extends through slot 51 in dome 49 downwardly toward chamber 27 of case 21. Shoulder 69 formed between stub 64 and nib 66 bears against the top portion of dome 49 in plate 47.

The lower end portion of nib 66 is engaged by the upper end of a coiled spring element 71 whose lower end is engaged in an annular recess 72 of carriage 73 having a downwardly extending stub 74, the lower edge of which has a concave recess 76 rotatably accommodating electrically conductive shaft 77 whose respective ends are integrally formed into spaced apart roller contacts 78.

Roller contacts 78 move back and forth on the upper surface of floor 28 on respective sides of partition 29 within chamber 27 of case 21.

In the open circuit condition of the switch, as shown in FIGURE 3, roller contacts 78 are spaced apart from legs 34 and 36 of contact elements 32 and 33, respectively.

In the closed circuit condition of the switch, as shown in FIGURE 4, roller contacts 78 are abutted against the upper edges of both legs 34 and 36 of contact elements 32 and 33, respectively, whereby the electrical circuit between terminal lugs 41 and 42 is closed through electrically conductive shaft 77.

Dome 49 of plate 47 is provided with sufiicient resilience whereby the abutment and frictional movement against said dome by shoulder 69 of toggle 63 causes ball portion 62 to be urged resiliently but slidably against annular seat 61 so that toggle 63 remains in its proper position within bushing 57. The space between sides 67 and 68 of nib 66 is slightly smaller than the width of slot 51 in dome 49 whereby said nib is restricted in its .3 reciprocating motion within said slot when toggle 63 is moved pivotally to its alternate positions as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, respectively. The close proximity of flat sides 67 and 68 to the respective edges of slot 51 prevent-the rotation of toggle 63 on its longitudinal axis as the latter moves reciprocably during its switching ac-' tion. This is of particular importance when the, externally extending handle of the toggle is in the formof a flat paddle whose plane must be maintained perpendicular to the plane of the reciprocating motion. Hence, slotted dome 49 serves both as a locating element for toggle 63 within bushing 57 as well as a guide for the proper straight line reciprocating motion of said toggle. Positive seating of ball 62 against annular seat 61 is ensured by dome 49.

While domed plate-47 is illustrated in the drawings in the form of a sheet metal element, it is understood that it may otherwise be formed of other suitable materials such as nylon, or the like, whereby dome 49 has suflicient spring-like resilience to cause ball portion 62 of toggle element 63 to be firmly but slidably urged against annular seat 61, while at the same time permitting the manipulation of said toggle in a reciprocating path.

As shown in the drawings, the interior of dome 49 ac-, commodates the upper end of spring 71 which is directly engaged by nib 66 without the intermediary of a ring or abutment member. Thus, the movement of upper end of spring 71 is safely confined within the interior of dome 49 which acts as an end cap for controlling the movement of said spring.

Furthermore, by virtue of its resilient engagement with toggle stub 64, dome 49 produces a snap action for toggle 63 thereby enhancing the positive switching operation of the device.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical switch comprising a case, a bushing mountedon said case, a toggle element in said bushing, 21 ball shaped portion on said toggle element, an annular curved seat in said bushing upon which said ball portion is slidably seated, a plate mounted between said case-and said bushing, a resilient convex dome integrally formed on said plate and extending upwardly into the interior of said bushing, a longitudinal slot in said plate, a portion of said toggle extending through said slot, and a shoulder on said toggle normally bearing slidably upon said dome,

said dome urging said toggle in a direction to cause said ball portion to be urged slidably against said annular seat.

2. A switch according to claim 1 wherein said portion of the toggle extending through said slot is in the form of a nib having a width that is slightly less than the width of said slot, said nib being restricted in its reciprocating movement within said slot so that the pivoting action of said toggle is guided in a straight line reciprocating movement.

3. A switch according to claim 2 and further comprising a shoulder formed between said nib and the remainder of said toggle, said shoulder coacting with said resilient dome during the reciprocating motion of said nib within said slot for urging said ball portion slidably against said annular seat.

4. A switch according to claim 3 and further comprising a roller contact movable reciprocably within said case, a spring in said case, one end of said spring being engaged .by said roller contact, the other end of said spring being directly engaged 'by said nib, the reciprocating action of said toggle causing the reciprocating motion of said roller contact, theend of said spring engaged by said nib being movable within the interior of said dome.

5. A switch according to claim 4 wherein the engagement of said dome and said toggle, enhances the alternating action of said toggle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,905,914 4/1933 Krieger 200-67 2,027,538 1/1936 Krieger 200-67.7 2,429,770 10/1947 Popp 200-67 X 2,936,347 5/1960 Larkin 200-67 X 3,165,603 1/1965 Sorenson 200-67 FOREIGN PATENTS 934,807 1/1948 France.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER,,Primary Examiner.

D. SMITH, 1a., Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH COMPRISING A CASE, A BUSHING MOUNTED ON SAID CASE, A TOGGLE ELEMENT IN SAID BUSHING, A BALL SHAPED PORTION ON SAID TOGGLE ELEMENT, AN ANNULAR CURVED SEAT IN SAID BUSHING UPON WHICH SAID BALL PORTION IS SLIDABLY SEATED, A PLATE MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID CASE AND SAID BUSHING, A RESILIENT CONVEX DOME INTEGRALLY FORMED ON SAID PLATE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID BUSHING, A LONGITUDINAL SLOT IN SAID PLATE, A PORTION OF SAID TOGGLE ENTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOT, AND A SHOULDER ON SAID TOGGLE NORMALLY BEARING SLIDABLY UPON SAID DOME, SAID DOME URGING SAID TOGGLE IN A DIRECTION A CAUSE SAID BALL PORTION TO BE URGED SLIDABLY AGAINST SAID ANNULAR SEAT. 